Mercer conducts the survey to help multinational companies and governments determine how much to pay their expatriate employees. The survey includes 144 cities across the world, and measures costs including housing, food, clothing, transportation and entertainment.</p>

So, if your company is shipping you off to Tokyo and you're negotiating compensation, you might remind them that a luxury two-bedroom apartment unfurnished might cost you $4,595 a month.

And you also might remind them that with coffee running at over $4 a cup, there is some risk you'll be less productive due to loss of caffeine unless you're adequately paid.</strong>

Hmm. . .these expats are just living the too good life. 4 dollars for a cup of coffee? Starbucks is actually too cheap for these folks(though in all fairness I do have an occassional cup of 4+ dollar a cup coffee)? A luxury two-bedroom apartment might cost you 4,595 dollars for sure, but at that point you've just grabbed your own ankles.